Tool for cleaning electrical-contact surfaces



Nov. 11,1925. r1561.496

L. E. WHITLOCK Tool. FOR CLEANING ELECTRICAL cou'uc'r sURFAEs Filed June '7. 1923 'IIIIIIIIII/ IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

LEON EDWARD WHITLOGK, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR T WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORFORATED NEW YORK.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF` TOOL CLEANING ELECTRICAL-CONTACT SURFACES.

Application led June 7,

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LEON EDWARD VHTT- Loox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leaven-` worth and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tools for Cleaning Electrical-Contact Surfaces, of which the followingis a full, clear, concise, and exact description. 10 This invention relates to tools for cleaning surfaces and more particularly to a tool for simultaneously cleaning a plurality of electrical contacting surfaces.

In order to insure good electrical conduc- 5 tion between contacting surfaces employed in electrical apparatus it is essential that such surfaces be free of foreign material of an insulating nature. Precautions of this nat-ure are especially necessary in telephone exchange equipment, where comparatively low voltage sources of current are employed. The operation, of the various elements `of telephone exchange apparatus insures that the contact surfaces are maintained `free from such foreign matter. However, when additional apparatus is installed, or when previously installed reserve apparatus is placed in use, it is sometimes necessary to remove any foreign matter which may have collected upon contact surfaces thereof during the installation work or the period of disuso.

In some telephone exchange equipments of the machine switching type a member moving along a predetermined path carries a plu ality of resiliently supported contact members which selectively engage sets of terminals arranged in a banked formation.

It is an object of the present invention to clean a plurality of surfaces adapted to be selectively engaged by a contact carried by a guiding member, by moving along such member an abrading tool for successively engaging and cleaning the surfaces.

Another object is to slidably engage aguiding member at any point in its length with a tool carrying a plurality of resiliently supported abra-ding members over a plurality of sets of contact surfaces, as the tool is moved along the.. guiding member. i r An additional obfect is to provide a tool which may be easily and readily attached to a member in the proper position to clean 1923. Serial No.` 643,888.

contact surfaces placed adjacent to the member.

A further object of the invention is to expedite the cleaning of terminals adapted to be engaged by contact brush members in a machine switching' telephone` exchange by simulating with a cleaningl tool the action of the contact brush.

`In Order to attain these objects there is provided, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a pair of pivoted jaw members, each carrying at one end a plurality of resiliently mounted abrading members. A grooved split block member separable in response to the opening of the jaws to permit itsl embracing a support, serves to properly position the abrading members. Thus as the tool is moved along the support, the surfaces of contact members arranged in a plurality of rows areproperly cleaned of all foreign matter to insure good electrical contact between such members and `co-operating brush contacts carried by the support 1n the normal operation of the ap-` paratus with which the surfaces are associt ated. A gauge attached to one jaw member serves to limit the extent of movement of the tool in one direct-ion so that it is effective throughout its movement.

These and other features not specifically mentioned will appear from the following t description and the accompanying drawing,

Fig. l of which shows an end elevati-on,`

in section, of a portion of a framework supporting a bank of multiple terminals in a machine switching telephone exchange with the tool in its operative position;

Fig.A 2 is a fragmentary sectional view valong the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the tool showing in detail the abrading members and the means for attaching them tothe tool.

Referring to the drawings in` detail in which similar.l reference characters denote similar parts throughout the several views, upper. and lower horizontal T irons l0 and 11 are supported in any suitable manner from the remainder of the framework, (not shown) and support top and bottom extension fiat members 12 and 13 respectively. Placed between the members 10 and l1 and supported in any suitable manner upon the remainder of the framework is a bank of multiple terminals designated generally by the character 20. The bank is composed of top and bottom members 21 and 22 respectively, and a plurality of sets of electrical contacting strips 23, 24, and 25, the adjacent individual strips as well a-s the sets of strips being separated by layers of suitable insulating material 26, all of these strips and members being clamped together to form one compact unit by bolts 28- v passing therethrough. Adapted to selectively contact with the terminal portions projecting from one side of the strips 23, 24, and 25 in the operation ofthe telephone exchange apparatus is a contact brush lined to and carried by a conduit 31, which serves to enclose the conductors connected to the brush as well as to guide the brush in itsinovement. Although the invention is not limited thereto, the contact brush l30 and its supporting conduit 31 may be of the same general type as disclosed and claimed in Patent,1,123,695, issued `January 5,1915 to E. B.,Craft and J. N. Reynolds. A xed vertical rod 33 mayv have attached thereto an arm 35 for engaging an, arm 36 to trip ,the brush 30 as it moves upwardly in a mannersomewhat similar to that described in the above mentioned patent. Thus the projecting cont-act arms ot the brush slide over` guiding members 33 attached tothe lower member 22, and as the brush continues in its upward movement, the contact surfaces thereof successively engage the edges ot the-projecting'terminals ot thestrips 23, 24, and 25, constituting the different sets of terminals inthe bank. lnasmuch as the construction and voperation oi'f the brushand the associated apparatus is not Y essentialA to an understanding ot the invention, no further; details'- relative. to these structures need be given,

The jaw members r40 and 31 `:are interconnected b y al pivot pin42, y carrying aspring` 43, which bears against .and ymaintainsthe handle portions ot the'jaw-members separated. Secured lay-screws to the Yliorward` ends of theinembers t0-and 41 respectively, are blocks 44 and 45, preferably of vulcanized iber-or othersuitable insulating material, and provided WitlrcO-operatingsemicircular vertical grooves-*47. and 43 adapted to slidably embrace ithe exterior ot jthe V conduit31. Insulatedresilient spring members and 51 are mounted upon and insulated.; rom the forward endv or" the member 40, and corresponding springmembers 52-and53 are similarly :mounted on `the forward-.end ot the,

member 41. Eaclrot theresilient members 50.7to 53 inclusivdhas loosely mounted thereon.by pivotapins:V `56 ya cleaning memben 57 ,admita-,ae ablsdnsiSIH-.faceras. mere.;

'-3 01 engagements essere@ attestati;

to the arm 4() serves to engage the upper plate 12 when-the tool has been moved to the upper contact surfaces of the bank, and thus limits the upward movement ot the tool so that the abra-ding members do not move beyond the bank, the uppermost position of the tool being as shown by dotted lines in Fig'. 1.

lt is evident that the continually wiping action of the contact surfaces of the brush 30-as they move along the terminals ot the bank maintains the `surta es in goed contacting condition. However, when it is -desired to place into service a bank of terminals which has been held in reserve for a considerable period et' time, it is .sometimes desirable to rapidly and positively clean such terminals before they are placed in service. In such a case the handle portions 40 and 41 are moved toward each other against the action ofthe spring 43, thus separating the forward ends et' thejaw members and the split block members 44 and 45, and permitting the positioning of the tool at the bottom of the bank as shown in Fig. l. In this position the split block members 44 and 45 loosely embrace the conduit 31 and properly position the abrading surfaces 57 carried by the arms 50 to V53 inclusive, against the edges et the projecting terminals in the bank, the abrading members being loosely pivote'd on the resilient arms as shown, and the tension of the arms being so adjusted that the properabrading action is produced. The tool is the-nmoved upwardly along the conduit 31, thereby cleaningthe edges et al1 ot the terminals in vertical alinement with each of the abrading` members. Then the gauge member A59 strikes the underside of the upper plate 12, it the surfaces of the terminals are properly cleaned, the tool may then be removed by pressing/'the handle portions ot the aw members 40 and-41 together and .vithdraw ing it from its engagement vith the conduit 31 and the terminals ot the bank. ln case the surfaces Clo-not appear to have` been sul- :lic-iently cleaned, the t el is again positioned as shown at the bottom of the Vfigure and the operation is repeated. The-tool as shown is especially adapted-to insure thecontact surfaces of the bankbeiugin pertect electrical conducting conditionby simulating murh as possible the wiping action of the brush contaetsnormally traversing thesesurfacesA in the opera-tion of the telephone exchange equipment. inasmuch as the `contact plates 23, 24, and 25 in 'some instances may be `oonnected electrically with working portions ot an exchange, all .parts et' the tool 4designfed for contacting.therewith are insulated: from.. each other,` as welles freinthe.framework uren which the, arparatass mounted. What-11S @laine-.ed 1S 1,. las@ toalafer creanme a Aplurality llG contact surfaces arranged for successive engagement by a movable contact terminal carried by a guiding member, means slidably engaging the guiding member, a resilient arm supported therefrom and abra'ding means supported therefrom for successively engaging the surfaces in response to a movement of the means along the guiding member. y

2. In a tool for cleaning a plurality of contact surfaces arranged for successive engagement by a movable contact terminal carried by a guiding member, means slidably engaging the guiding member, a resilient arm supported therefrom and an abrading member pivotally supported by the resilient arm for successively engaging the surfaces in response to a movement of the means along t-he guidingl member.

3. In a tool for cleaning a plurality of contact surfaces arranged adjacent to a guiding member, a pair of pivotally interconnected jaw members for slidably engaging the guiding member, and moans supported by one of the j aw members for slidably engaging and thereby cleaning the `Contact surfaces as the jaw men'ibers are `moved along' the guiding member.

4. In a tool for cleaning a plurality of sets of contact surfaces arranged adjacent to a guiding member, a pair of pivotally interconnected jan* members for slidably engzliging the guiding member, and a plurality or means supported by the jaw members for simultaneously engaging the surfaces of one set of contacts and movable with the jaw members along the guiding members to successivehv engage the surfaces of additional sets and thereby clean such surfaces.

5. In a tool for cleaning a plurality of contact surfaces arranged for successive engagement by a movable Contact terminal carried by a guiding member, a pair of pivoted members, a normally closed split block attached thereto and separating in response to a relative movement of the members to slidably embrace the guiding' member, and abrading means supported by the pivoted members simulating the engagement of the contact surfaces by the movable contact terminal iu 'response to the movement of the split block along the guiding member, thereby cleauingthe con tact surfaces.

l. lu a tool for cleaning a plurality of ct surface-a arranged in sets for snccoi ccssi'fe engagement by a multi-contact terminal moved by a guiding member in the operation of a telephone exchange, a pair of pivotczl jaw members, means carrie-d thereby for slidably engaging the guiding member, and a plurality of abrading means alsosupported by the jaw members and successively engaging the sets of contact surfaces responsive to a movement of the jaw members along the guiding member.

'i'. In a tool for cleaning a plurality of contact surfaces arranged in sets for successive engagement by a movable multi-contact terminal carried by a guiding member, means slidably engaging the guiding member, a'` plurality of resilient arms supported thereby corresponding' in number to the surfaces in each set, and abrading means supported from each of said arms for successively engaging the corresponding surfaces in the sets in response to a movement of the means along the guiding member.

S. In a tool for cleaning a plurality of contact surfaces arranged in sets for successive engagement'by a movable multi-contact terminal lcarried by a guiding member, a pair of pivoted jaw members, a grooved split block member carried by each of the jaws and co-operating to slidably embrace the guidin member, a plurality of resilient arms supported by each of the jaw members, and abrading means supported by each arm to successively engage the corresponding surfaces of the sets in response to a movement of the split block member along the guiding member.

9. In a tool for successively cleaning a plurality of terminals arranged in a bank adjacent to a guiding member, extending beyond the bank resilient means supported therefrom means slidably engaging the guiding' member, abrading means carried by said means for successively engaging the terminals responsive to a movement of the first mentioned means along the guiding member, and means carried by the slidable means for limiting the movement thereof to prevent the abrading means moving beyond the bank.

I0, In a tool for cleaning a plurality of contact surfaces arranged adjacent to a member, supporting means attachable to the member at any point thereof, resilient means supported therefrom and cleaning means mounted thereon and engaging andl thereby cleaning the contact surfaces when the supporting means is attached to the member.

ll. In a tool for cleaning a plurality of contact surfaces arranged adjacent to a guiding member, supporting means attachable to the member at any point thereof, resilient means supported therefrom cleaning means mou nted thereon.` and means carried by the first mentioned means and coperating with the member for positioning the cleaning means to clean the contact surfaces.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 29 day of May A. D., 1923.

LEON EDWARD WHITLOCK. 

